Disposable breathing mask



pril 14, 1953 H. L., BURNS '2,634,724

DISPOSABLE BREATHING MASK l Filed Oct. 22, 1949 .3 Sheets-Sheet l K if? 6. /a5\ 6 7 j/ #vz/ENTER HENRY L. uRNs EVUMJMM April 14, `19s?, H. L.. BURNS 2,634,724

DIsPosABLi:l BREATHIN M'A'Sx Filed Oct. 22, 1949 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 E VMM/MM /4 7- TDR/ve@ Patented pr. 14, 1953 UNITED STATES PATENT FFICE DISPGSABLE 'BREATHING MASK .Henry L. :Bm-ns, Port-land, foires.

Application `O'c't'oh'erZZ, 1949,:'Seria-1No. 123339 .-19 iClaimS.

AThis vinvention relates 'primar-ily to a 'frebreather type of oxygen mask, but certain 'f'eatures of the invention a-re Vutilized Withoutothers to provide an improved dust or paint spray mask.

ln elds yof activity such as militaryair transport, commercial aviation and oxygen therapy, oxygen vis administered to large lnumbers -of findivi'duals. "In the use of 'the conventional molded rubber face Amask in large numbers 'there exists the ,problem of sterilization and restorage'of used masks. Where loxygen vequipment is carried in :pressurized 'aircraft in anticipation of 'an emergency requiring the use 'of oxygen, the volume 'and Weight of vthe 'conventional rubber masks impose an extra burden in the carrying 'of such equipment which may never be used.'

The lforegoing problems have stimulated prior attempts to `design an 'oxygen mask vwhich 1Vcould be made 'cheaply 'enough to :be thrown Faway -affter each use, but the materials 'and forms of "construction heretofore employed have resulted `in masks 'still 'many "times more 'expensive :than sterilization and handling costs. A 'Controlling factor, especially in aircraft ius'e, is :the 'need ffor oxygen economy which imposes :certain 'design limitations. For example, the Amask must t the face t'ig'ht, Vyet comfortably, vthe mask "should cover both the mouth and the nose andyet'ihave Aa minimum ldead air space, andthe mask must Vbe lof the re-breather type. A rei-breather type oxygen mask 'incorporates :in its 'structure 'and expanding v'and contracting chamber to 'contain incoming `oxygen during expiration.

Objects of the present invention are, therefore, to Lprovide v`an improved vinexpensive breathing mask Awhich may be replaced at -less expense vthan the sterilization and handling costs of conventional masks, and to Vprovide a breathing tmask Which xis designed in 'such a manner k.that "it can be vfabricated by -'cutting and .-fol'ding flat sheet stock vsuch as paper, 4a jpl'astio 'sheet material, :or 'even 'sheet rub'ber, `to eliminate expensive molding operations.

Another object is J'to provide 'a'mask ofthe .type described Which may be folded 'oompactly and `stored in 'a fiat condition.

A `:further object fis to provide a rse-breather `type 'oxygenzmask having the above features and advantages and, .iin addition, :satisfying `'the partisular vrequirements of 'aircraft use.

In'practicing the invention, Va breathing charmrbei' 'is made to Vcover the nose and Jmouth 'of the wearer by folding -a substantially square 'blank of vflat `sheet material 'to form 'a four'sided pyramid 'having a 'substantially 'square and open Ibase. The sides ofthe pyramid comprise a't triangular panels, each having Ya face engagingedge at the 4base 4of the pyramid. 'Iihese panels `extend between `fold .lines fof the material, zone if `which fold lines extends omardly Jaen-oss .the ftop .of

the 4mask '4to overlie the -nose `olf 'the wearer. JIn

i the Ioxygen 'mask the vtwo funderneath panels :are equipped with fopen'ings :or ports fcommun'icating; with 'two triangular bellows mountedon the :out- `sides -of `'these panels. v:An l'rmx-egizi itube extends intofone of the 'be'llows and the Amask is equipped with ian elastic band to ihold it vis position on. the -wea-rer. The bellows `and lface piece fold together to fior-ma small-flat package 'for storage. The dust -or vpaint :spray @mask hereinafter re fer-red to simply as va ipainterfs mask, embodies substantially ithe same construction 'iin the face piece, tbut "the bellows, 'ports'fa-nd oxygen itube fare omitted.

Stil-1 further objects and advantages will fbecome apparent land 'the invention be better understood with 'reference `to the following 'speciflcation 'relating to two preferred embodiments of 'mask illustrated in the accompany-ing 'drawings inthe drawings:

Figure y'1 is a view of "theoxyg-en lmask in use:

Figure 2 is a View ofthe dust for ipaint'spray v mask in 1use;

Figure 3 shows -the @blank fand fold lines "foi` the face pieceof the 'oxygen mask;

Fig-ure -4 Kshows the blank and vfold lines lor 'ithe paintes mask;

Fig-ure 5 vshows .the 'ii-rst oliiingloperations to be performed 'upon the 3blank :shown i-n Figure "Figure f6 shows itl-re Afielding operations to be 'performed upon the Eblank shown in Fig-ureilii;

-Figure Y I'shows the '-'oxygenmas'k in top plan view, with v'certain -parts extended, prior kto attachment of fthe bellows:

Figure `-8 is a "top pla-n view s`hovfing the painteris mask at fan intermediate -Stage in its manufacture;

'Figure 9 "is fa `rear velevation 'view of the complated eoxygen mask in position Vto 'be put lby the wearer;

'-Figure 11D t'ls a 'rear elevation view of the xcoinpleted painters mask;

Figure 11 is a sectional View itaken son the'lline li5 iM-TTI in "-ligures i9 and 10; v

Figure 'i2 is fa 1"fragmeritar-y perspective 'view showing the resilientipa'ds behind `lthe zcheekfiaps.;

Figure a3 is fa sectional view taken :on the tine iI-B--l3 rin Figure 29,;

Figure 14 `Sis fa perspective view `ol. the oxygen mask :folded into sa femm-actI flat package ifor storage; fand Figure v1If5 is ayiewiof the blankfor the lbeliow's.

Figure 1 shows the oxygen mask in use. 'The V princi-pal parts `visible ii-n this 'view comprise a 'aace A#piece I 'defining -albreatliingfichamber *the Amain mask cavity, fa pai-r :of ii'exi-ble bellows dening rthe :re-'breathing ychambers, fan koxygen tube 33, and :an elastic i4 to hold 'the mask Yon fthe Aparts in the two masks are designated by the same reference characters from I to IBI), while the parts and features peculiar to the paintersv mask are designated by reference characters above |00. In Figures 3, 4, 7 and-8 dash lines designate fold lines where the material is folded upward, and dot and dash lines indicate fOld lines where the material is folded downward from the plane of the view. l

Figures 3, 5, 7 and 9 illustrate successive stages in the making of the oxygen mask, and the construction will be best understood by rst describing bow the mask is made. The blank 5 is cut to the approximately square shape shown in Figure 3 from some suitable inexpensive sheet material to make the face piece I. A good grade of soft, porous crepe paper has been found to be satisfactory, but the invention is not limited to the use of this particular material. The downward fold line 6 turns the two cheek flaps 'I `underneath so that this f old line forms the two upper face engaging edges 6 of the mask as shown in Figure l. Between the cheek flaps l, the material is cut away in a curved notch 8 to accommodate the nose of the wearer. The longitudinal medial downward fold line 9 appears as a forwardly extending corner in Figure 1 overlying the wearers nose, and the two diagonal downward fold lines I appear as lateral folded edges, thereby defining a pair of triangular panels II which form the two top walls of the main breathing chamber of the mask cavity.

The downward fold I2 forms a longitudinal forwardly extending corner in the bottom of the breathing chamber opposite the fold 9, as best seen in Figure 9. On opposite sides of the fold I2 there are diagonal upward folds I3 which iit within the downward folds I0. The parallel reverse folds on opposite sides of the folds I 0 and I3 in Figure l form a plurality of thicknessesY of material in a narrow band adjacent the edges I0 as is apparent in Figure 9. The two triangular panels I4 between the folds I2 and I3 thereby form the bottom walls of the main breathing chamber lying opposite the top panels II so that when the mask is opened out as shown in Figure 9 the four triangular panels II and I4 forni Va. four-sided pyramid having an approximately square base. This base includes the two edges 6 and also the two edges I5 which constitute the four face contacting edges of the mask.

The edge I5 is an upward fold in Figure 3 which produces a flap I6 to provide a double thickness of material along the lower edge of the mask. It will be appreciated that the outside surfaces of the panels II as viewed in Figure 1 are the top surfaces of these panels as viewed in Figure 3, and that the panels I4do not appear in Figure 1. It will further be appreciated that the inside surfaces of the four panels I I and I4, seen in Figure 9, are on the bottom side of the sheet shown in Figure 3.

A transverse medial downward fold 20 divides the remainder of the blank in Figure 3 into four triangular panels 2 I, the two adjacent panels 2I .on each side of the mask thereby lying Vflat together to form a double thickness -triangular wing panel 2Ia constituting a wallforone ofthe bellows 2. The fold 20 forms the forward edges of both wing panels 2 Ia as seen in Figures l and 7, and the double edge 22 forms the bottom edges thereof. The material is not folded on the diagonal lines 23 and 24 in forming the mask, but these fold lines function as hinges for the Wings 2Ia to facilitate operation of the bellows. Holes 25 provide communication between both bellows and the main breathing chamber.

In making these various folds it is preferred to start-as shown in Figure 5 with the folds B, I5 and 20, rather than to make them in the order described hereinabove.

The face piece thus folded may be spread out to appear in top plan view as shown in Figure 'I by flattening the folds 9 and I2 and drawing out the wings 2Ia to place them in a common plane with the panels II. This is not a normal position of the parts, but serves to show the relationship of the wing panels 2Ia to the rest of the mask before attachment of the bellows. Disposed immediately beneath the hinge folds 23 are diagonal upward folds 26 of Figure 3, these folds appearing in Figure 9. There are also downward folds 21 at the lateral edges of panels I4 at the same place. It will be apparent in Figure 9 that the diagonal folds produce a narrow strip 28 adjacent each edge I0 having four thicknesses of material to reinforce and stiifen the mask.

The cheek flaps 'I are urged into engagement with the cheeks and sides of the nose by small resilient pads 30 of cotton or foam rubber or other suitable material secured to the panels II by staples 3|, as best shown in Figures 7, 9, 1l and l2.

The two triangular bellows 2 are formed by folding accordion pleats in a single generally rectangular sheet of flexible non-porous material such as a thin and tough plastic film, shown in Figure 15. Each of these bellows is disposed between one of the panels I4 and its adjacent wing panel 2 Ia, whereby the opening and closing movement of the bellows involves the swinging of the wings 2 Ia on their hinge lines 23 to move the points 42 of the wings toward and away from the central point 43 at the intersection of fold line I2 with the edge I5. When the bellows are collapsed, each wing 2 Ia lies flat against its adjacent panel I4 with the two wing points 42 coming together at the point 43. The inflated position is shown in Figure 9.

The corners 44 and 45 of the two bellows are formed by zigzag and straight fold lines extending down the longitudinal center line of the rectangular sheet intersecting transverse folds 40. vAt its midpoint along one side, the sheet s cut at 4I from one side to the longitudinal folds and the resultingtransverse edges on opposite sides of the cut, as exemplified by the one edge 4I appearing in Figure 13, are folded under the ap I 5 at the edge I5 and secured by Some suitable means such as staples 46. It will be appreciated that the cut 4I in Figure 15 forms two edges 4I, the same numeral being used to identify the edges with the cut which creates these edges. In Figure 13 the staple 46 is shown at the section line for convenience. The other side of the sheet is continuous at 47 and lies across the corner fold I2 to connect the two bellows and obviate the necessity for a gas tight joint along this fold. Thus the two edges 4I are separated to lie along the two edges I5 of the face piece in Figure 9, one Aedge 4I being in one bellows and the other edge 4I being in the other bellows.

assegna Half vof the side-.edge 48 'in Figure 155iisgathered ltogether Aat IBG, and fthe remainder ris gathered together at 5I, in Figures 9 and 14. Corresponding parts of the opposite and lunsevered side ledge 49 are similarly gathered together at the .respective points 152 `and153,shown'in Figures '7 and 14. One'of the ends 3540i fthesheet iis folded over 'the two-edges 2t -and22 of ion'ecof "thewings Z'Iafand secured thereto by staples '55 :vor vother l'suitable fastening `means :as shown vin 'Figures 113 .and 14, 'and the "otherend 54 iis similarly Ifolded fover and secured to fthe cor-responding vedges .o'f ithe -other Wing, it lbeing remembered that 'fthe bellows sheet is in'eect-lfolded at right angles on `vits-longitudiintermediate points along the edges L'Ill where there is no bellows material, the four thicknesses V'of the reversely folded face Asheet the strip 28 are Asecured. by staples l56.

At the gather point -5', the elbow-shaped oxygen tube f3 extends-into one of the bellows. This tube is -'included between the llayers of material in'the reinforcing strip 28 at .the edge Hl, and a suiciently gas tight vjoint is made by applying additional staples vwhich also serve to `anchor yone end of the .elastic lband Il. The band l'is vequipped with `eyelets 6I? vto engage la hook -BI riveted in -a corresponding position -through -the vreversely folded -material on the other side of the mask.

Thus it will `be apparent from Figure r19 that the yfour panels I I `and Ill provide a'covering for the nose and vmouth and deneafpyram'idishaped vbreath-ing chamber which -may also -be designated Aas the main mask cavity. The expanding and contracting re-breather yvolume is separated Iinto 'two chambers comprising the triangular accordion bellows 2. The interiors of these bellows communicate with the main mask cavity through the ports 25. Oxygen vis admitted in a steady flowing stream from a source of supply through the oxygen tube 3 into one of the bellows. The cheek naps 'I backed up with the `small resilient pads 30 provide a seal against excess leakage around the nose which would irritate the eyes. There is, of course, the possibility of some leakage at other points vwhere the mask engages Athe face, but this may be desirable in addition to the natural porosity of the paper in the face piece to allow for limited inflow and outflow of `air and gases. When the face piece is lmad-e Aof relatively non-porous material, 'holes may be lprovided in suitable locations to supplement the leakage flow necessary.

Oxygen enters through the tube 3 in a l'continuous vflow at ya 'rate controlled by the oxygen supply system tending to inflate the reservoir bellows. `At the start of the inspiratory phase of the breathing cycle, the oxygen-air mixture entering the lungs comes from the supply stored in the ltwo bellows. Toward the end of inspiration, gases entering the respiratory system consist of air drawn in through the porous face piece mixed with the continuous iiowing oxygen entering by way of tube 3, bellows `2, and port 25.

During expiration part of the expired gases supplement the incoming oxygen to re-.expand the bellows, and vthereafter the remainder of the expired Vgases leave 'the mask by way of any leak- `age 'spaces around `the edges and through the porous material of the face piece. The bellows effect an oxygen economy by storing incoming oxygen during expiration and by capturing -those unused gases expelled from the top portion of the users`respirator7 system.

The double thickness yof material :the wing panels 2 Ia .operates .to reduce the .effective iporosity to prevent excessive .loss :of foxygen from the bellows. The lporousarea of lthesewingpanyels is 'somewhat :reduced :by the width of th'e 'iiap of the non-porous bellows material which -is attached `thereto fas shown iin .Figure 13, and :the loss may be still further reduced, if zdesired, by .providing a .widerlappf fthe bellows .material to overlie `these wing :panels 'or `by '.insertingra 'triangular .sheet of mon-porous :material to zover 'fthe whole wingpanel. In the "presentiform of iconstruction, it .is not difficult lto 4make the .stapled ljointsiso that there is ino appreciable .loss of new `oxygen from .the ibellows ito the atmosphere;

4The mask folds on @the Slin'es i9, I2 into fa. 'ila't square package ifor ithe Ystorage .as lshown 'in `.Jiligture '114. Thus, the fadvantages fof inexpensive manufacture, vlight weight, and fsm'allstorage wol umo, are attained without fsacricing Aany :of @the performance features and requirements fof 'the .conventionalexpensiva heavy and bulky masks.

`The painters .mas'k vshown lin 'Figure '-2 Ais made fin the same -way as the oxygen .mask :jus'td'escribed, except that it llacks fthe bellows, `ports 25, and the-oxygen tube3. The Ssuccessive steps in ymaking the painters mask are shown in 'Figuresf4,r6,8 yand 11).

The blank TI-05 shown 'in Figure i"l is thesam'e as the blank 5 in Figure 3 without the holesi-Z. Figure 8 shows the :different ldisposition .invade of the wings g21a. 'These wings are ffoldediup-'compactly on the :fold lines 'Hl-6 and -secured'by sta-'- ples i501 lalong the `edges I0 to lprovide fa reinforcing strip `I2'8 A'for the mask, and especially fat the points 'of attachment v'cffband 4 A'aldil-1001i: Ylill'. The iiap I6 is folded down on its foldlline l'II-S, Ias indicated in Figures 4 and-'6,110 dispose this yflap inside the mask.

Thus, the painters mask 'has Aa 'single `cav-ity voi? pyramid shape bounded by the -four triangular panels `I'I and I4 as shown in Figure I0. "Inb'oth inspiration and expiration, 'the breathing l'air passes through the porous paperto '-'filter out any dust or liquid particles.

`In both forms of mask the joints are secured solely by staples without the use -o'f adhesive, but

edge portions being adapted to engage the facey of the wearer, and intur-ned cheek 4iiaps 'on two of said edge portions adapted -to lie at yagainst the face of the wearer on opposite sides-of -the nose.

2. :A breathing -mask comprising `a Vsheet -fof porous Amaterial zhaving a plurality of fold lines dening triangular panels forming -a pyramid "in which `the base of the pyramid lis adapted to -envgage the face of thewearer with -one -of said `fold lines aligned with the wearers nose, and inturned cheek flaps on the 'two 'panels on opposite sides of said 'fold line to prevent exhalationleaklage at the 'sides of the'nose.

3. A 'breathing mask comprising ha Aplurality Yof panels of porous 'sheet material forming -a vbreathing chamber of 'generally pyramidal shape 7 ifi which the base ,of the pyramid is adapted to engage the face of the wearer, cheek aps on said base portion, and resilient cushion means behind said cheek flaps to hold the flaps in engagement with the wearers face on opposite sides of the nose.

4. In a breathing mask, a sheet of material having folds defining wall panels for the mask, and parallel reverse folds forming reinforcing strips of multiple thickness extending along certain of said first mentioned folds, said panels folding compactly into a flat package. f

5. In a breathing mask, a plurality of flat panelsextending between fold lines in a sheet of material and forming the walls of the mask, and additional panels between said lines folded into narrow reinforcing strips extending along two of said fold lines between adjacent walls of the mask for the attachment of holding means to engage the head of a wearer, said wall panels folding compactly into a at package.

6. A re-breather type oxygen mask comprising a breathing chamber having a plurality of fiat, folding panels, and a bellows onone side of one of said panels constituting a re-breather chamber, said one panel forming a common wall between said breathing chamber and re-breather chamber, said bellows and panels folding compactly together for storage of the mask in a flat package.

7. In a re-breather type oxygen mask, a breathing chamber comprising a folded sheet of porous material, and a re-breather chamber comprising a bellows covering an area of said mask between said folds, said-mask area forming a common vwall between said breathing chamber and rebreather chamber.

8. In a re-breather type oxygen mask, a breathing chamber comprising a folded sheet of porous material having a plurality of flat panels extending between fold lines, and a bellows mounted on one of said panels between said fold lines to form a re-breathing chamber, said bellows and breathing chamber folding compactly together in a flat package for storage.

9. In a re-breather type oxygenY mask, a breathing chamber having a plurality of wall panels extending between fold lines in a sheet of flat stock material, an exterior wing panel overlying one of said wall panels and hingedly connected thereto o n said fold lines, and a bellows between said wing panel and said w-all panel forming a re-breathing chamber.

10. In a re-breather type oxygen mask, a

Abreathing chamber having folding wall panels, a

folding wing panel overlying one of said wall panels, and a bellows interconnnecting said wing panel and said one wall panel to form a rebreathing chamber. y

11. A re-breather type oxygen mask having a breathing chamber comprising a plurality of fold- .ing panels, an expansible re-breather chamber mounted on the outside of one of said panels, a.

port in said panel, said breathing chamber and lin a flat package for storage. l V13. In `a re-breather type oxygen mask, a

breathing chamber of generally pyramidal shape having four triangular panels extending between fold lines in a sheet of porous material, cheek flaps on two of said panels, bellows constituting re-breather chambers on two of said panels, ports in said last mentioned panels for communication between said breathing chamber and said rebreather chambers, and an oxygen tube leading into one of said bellows.

14. In a re-breather type oxygen mask, a pyramidal breathing chamber comprising a plurality of triangular panels extending between fold lines in a sheet of flat stock material, triangular bellows forming re-breather chambers on two of said panels, ports in said last mentioned panels, and an oxygen tube extending into one of said bellows.

15. In a re-breather type oxygen mask, a sheet of material having folds defining wall panels for a breathing chamber and folding wing panels, and bellows extending between said wing and wall panels forming re-breather chambers.

16. In a re-breather type oxygen mask, an approximately square blank of sheet material, said blank having fold lines defining triangular Wall panels forming a substantially pyramidal breathing chamber, and said fold lines also defining triangular wing panels overlying two of said breathing chamber panels and hingedly connected therewith on certain of said fold lines to form end walls for a pair of triangular bellows.

17. In a re-breather type oxygen mask, an approximately square blank of sheet material having longitudinal and transverse medial fold lines and diagonal fold lines defining triangular panels of a substantially pyramidal breathing chamber, and defining triangular wing panels for rebreather bellows.

18. In a breathing mask, an approximately square blank of porous sheet material having diagonal fold lines, a medial fold line bisecting one pair of vertical angles between said diagonal fold lines forming triangular wall panels for the mask adjacent two opposite edges of said blank, and reinforcing strips for the left and right sides of the mask folded from material in the other pair of vertical angles between said diagonal fold lines.

19. A re-breathing type oxygen mask comprising a breathing chamber having a, plurality of flat wall panels connected together by straight fold lines, said wall panels folding flatly together, and a re-breather chamber having collapsible walls attached to said wall panels and communicating with said breathing chamber, said breathing chamber and re-breather chamber folding compactly together into a fiat package.

HENRY L. BURNS.

References Cited in the le of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 7,476 Lane July 2, 1850 1,020,617 Matthews Mar. 19, 1912 2,248,477 Lombard July 8, 1941 2,321,256 Shelton June 8, 1943 2,507,447 La Joie May 9, 1950 2,565,124 Durborow Aug. 2l, 1951 FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country Date 280,674 Italy Dec. 28, 1929 809,510 France De.12,1936 

